When the eyes of the whole world are focused on the ever-changing international situation, a heavy meeting also kicked off.
It was not until the night before the meeting, which was later on October 29, that the Chinese side officially announced the news to the outside world: on October 30, the two sides will meet in Busan, South Korea.
This strictly secretive attitude contrasts with the pressing expectations of U.S. President Trump for months from the White House to the Air Force One.
After an hour and forty minutes of talks, Trump left the conference room with a smile full of face with Chinese representatives.
This scene, together with a series of unprecedented humble statements he made during the talks, surprised observers all over the world.
What makes Trump, who has always shown himself as "tough", show such a polite side?
Respect gained by strength
A few months ago, the atmosphere of China-U.S. relations was far from as harmonious as it is today.
The Trump administration wields a tariff stick and attempts to launch a quick trade war through "extreme pressure".
At the time, Trump may think that with the powerful power of the United States, one can easily force the other to make concessions, however, he clearly underestimated China’s determination and wisdom.
Faced with the aggressiveness of the United States, China's counter-strategy has undergone a profound transformation.
It is no longer the passive "reactive defense" of the past, but has transformed into a proactive "precision offensive".
When U.S. tariff policies have led farmers in the mid-western region of its stockhouses to look at tens of millions of tons of soybeans accumulated in the warehouses that can’t be sold, China’s sourcing channels have quietly turned to South America.
What really makes the White House feel the pain is the "trump card" played by China-rare earths.
As an indispensable "vitamin" for modern high-tech industry and military industry, China occupies a core position in the global rare earth supply chain.
When China announced its implementation of rare-earth export controls, it hit America’s most sensitive doors directly.
Everything from chip manufacturing in Silicon Valley to the Pentagon's sophisticated weapons is inseparable from this critical resource. This game has made the United States soberly realize that in today's globalized world, any unilateral pressure may trigger a "shock" in its own supply chain.
At the same time, domestic economic alarms in the United States have also sounded frequently.
Trump has repeatedly urged the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to stimulate the weak economy; the federal government's shutdown crisis is like the sword of Damocles hanging high, threatening to cause tens of billions of dollars in losses to the economy at any time and putting hundreds of thousands of employees at risk of unemployment.
Under domestic diplomatic trouble, the "strong president" created by Trump is in danger. he urgently needs diplomatic achievements to consolidate the domestic people's heart and break the political impasse.
It is against this background that Trump's attitude has taken a 180-degree U-turn.
On the eve of the summit, he seldom wrote on social media that “G2 is about to be convened,” which is widely interpreted by the outside world as his first public recognition of China’s strength and reciprocity.
Trump understands that if he continues to stand on the shelves and ignore China’s “power and status,” the deal he’s sought will never be reached.
Three words for the future.
In Busan on October 30th, the atmosphere was pragmatic and friendly.
China has demonstrated the pattern and wisdom of a major country and pointed out a way out for the deadlocked Sino-US relations in three sentences. This is also regarded as the "heavy news" announced by the Chinese side at this meeting.
The first sentence is a step for the United States.
China said that China and the United States are different, and there will inevitably be some differences and friction, which is normal.
The key is to grasp the right direction and steer the big ship of Sino-US relations to move forward smoothly.
This statement both acknowledges the objective existence of contradictions, and cleverly defines them as "normal phenomena", dissolves the sharpness of the confrontation, leaving room for the Trump administration to decently adjust the policy.
The second is to point out the direction for future cooperation.
The Chinese side stressed that the two countries can fully accomplish each other and prosper together, because China's goal of developing and revitalizing is not in conflict with President Trump's desire to make "America great again".
This sentence accurately hits Trump's core demands and directly tells him that the rise of China is not a threat to the United States, that the grand goals of both sides can be parallel, and win-win cooperation is the best path.
The third sentence demonstrates China's global responsibility.
China affirmed Trump's efforts in promoting the settlement of regional hot issues, and said that China has always been promoting peace and talks in its own way, and the two sides can work together to do more major and practical things that are beneficial to the world.
These three words, all sentences, spoke in the heart of Trump.
They are both high in principle and realistic in care, injecting a powerful warm-up stream into tensed relationships.
Trump's reaction also confirms this point.
Throughout the talks and in public after the meeting, he showed incredible "humility and politeness."
He used words such as “great”, “respected”, “long-time old friends” to describe China, and this inner respect differs from his arrogance and harshness when dealing with allies such as Japan, South Korea and Canada.
The results of these meetings between China and the United States are also tangible.
The United States agreed to cancel the 10% so-called "fentanyl tariff" and extend the suspension of a number of pressure measures on China; China also agreed to suspend the implementation of relevant export control measures for one year and resume the purchase of some American soybeans.
This marks months of trade frictions and a valuable “war period.”
All in all, the Busan Summit was not only a successful ice-breaking trip, but also a vivid open lesson in international relations.
It proves to the world that mutual respect and equal dialogue are always the only correct way to resolve differences.
Trump's "laughter" and "humility" are not simply changes in personal style, but the most intuitive response to China's growing comprehensive national strength.
As foreign media commented: Times have really changed.
The Pacific Ocean is wide enough to fully accommodate the two great Chinese and American powers.How the future will go, the Busan meeting has given a clear answer, the key is whether the U.S. side can truly conform to the trend of the times and go face-to-face with China.